Cycle Systems Academy

For show notes and more, please click HERE.....

For show notes and more, please click HERE...

For show notes and more, please click HERE....

For show notes and more, please click HERE...

While the evil overlords of the bike industry force us to use disc brakes on our road bikes, D shaped steerers that seem to break quite often and internal routing that would confound a Jack Russell terrier, Shimano have gone totally off message and (gasp) released an entire family of components that work together effortlessly. It is almost as if, in their Bond Villain lairs they are listening to us mechanics rant about non compatible shifters and press fit bottom brackets! Keep it up, folks. The ever insightful Mike Stead from Road.cc joins us for an in depth look. 

John Galloway was a pro mechanic in the 1990s and finished up pretty much when Sean started out. In this week's episode they look at how a 1990s mechanic would fare in a modern workshop and vice versa! This, of course gives us the excuse to talk about eBikes, disc brakes and electronic Rohloff hubs as well as cantilever brakes, broken anodised purple components and wheelbuilding. Amazingly, gravel bikes, the Girvan flex stem and John's drop barred mountain bikes don't get a look in. 

Welcome to Cycle Systems Online podcasts for 2023. It's great to be back with a stellar episode with John Thorpe from https://fjmtb.com/ From 1980s tracker bikes through to legendary MTB night races and a cult following in the Manchester area, John has built up a reputation for great riding, racing and partying at his own bike park.Marple is no Marin County, but John can certainly match Gary Fisher for a good yarn and the race weekends have rivalled anything at Repack back in those heady days. You can find out more at https://www.facebook.com/FARMERJOHNSMTB and  https://www.instagram.com/fjmtb/

Join Sean and John for a revisit to the topic of Winter Bikes. Quite a few changes have occurred in the bike world since we discussed this topic last. Do you get an old touring bike and plod through the Winter, or just ride your main squeeze all year 'round? What about mountain bikes, gravel bikes or even the dreaded indoor trainer? Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of you out there. See you in 2023. 

The world of cyclocross racing and tech is beloved to some and unknown to many.Whichever of these camps you fall into, this weeks show with Neil Mansfield from the Crosscast will satisfy you like a beer soaked skinsuit at a dirty weekend in Belgium.Links for your delight; https://thecrosscast.buzzsprout.com/https://grity.co.uk/  << sustainable sports apparel business which Caroline (MrsM) https://www.instagram.com/thecrosscast/ https://www.instagram.com/crosscastneil/https://www.facebook.com/TheCrosscastPodcast/

Join Sean and International Mountain Bike Mag's Jarno Hoogland for a look a the world of mountainbikes for 2023. Whether you want inspiration for a new event or want to know what new tech may be coming out, we try to cover it all here. Jarno talks about riding at  Nava Freeride and the Trans Madeira  as well as inviting you to Verbier to use his Trail Taxi.Links for all we discussed here. https://www.imbikemag.com/  https://navafreeride.it/  https://trans-madeira.com/ http://trailtaxi.ch/ https://www.planetx.co.uk/c/q/bikes/mountain-bikes/on-one-hello-dave/ 

While we all like to save money on bike components, having more longevity is especially important in 2022 due to continuing component shortages. As chains and sprockets have got narrower, and especially now electric motors are common, the time is ripe for a new type of drivetrain. Does Shimano's new Linkdrive fit the bill? Join Mike Stead and Sean to get the lowdown and to find out about a few other new products, including a carbon tubeless sealant. Yes, really.  

For the first time since 2007 and the formation of Cycle Systems, Sean is working for someone else. In this episode, he looks at the differences of bike shop life in 2022 to back then and shares what these changes in bike design mean for mechanics and consumers. He also gives a quick wish list of 'money no object' dream bikes. Never an easy selection to make, but as you might imagine, none of the bikes coming out of boxes make it!

This week Sean and John look at the trends in modern road bike design and their impact on carbon fibre design and manufacture. Specifically how this affects riders safety, both in the world tour and the Sunday club run. Based on an in depth discussion on this subject Sean has with Raoul Luescher from Luescher Teknik for Team Camp members, expect a bit of a rant!

Track 13 in Cycle Systems Academy.

Track 11 in Cycle Systems Academy.

As the Tour de France has just wrapped up and we get into the Tour de France Femmes, let's look back a few years and join Sean having a chat with Gary Blem, then Team Sky's mechanic assigned to Chris Froome. If you've ever wondered what life as a pro mechanic is like at the very top of the game and how to get there, this pod is for you. Join us next week for a look at Eurobike 2022.

Track 12 in Cycle Systems Academy.

Sean gives his mid term review of the DT Swiss ARC, ERC and Mon Chasseral wheels. Riding uphill and down dale, on and off road has given the wheels a good little workout so far.

Shimano finally releases its much anticipated 105 Di2 groupset. The question is, beyond the hype, will this benefit the bike world? In this pod, Sen tries to take a balanced view of a much polarised issue and give the trade and mechanic's lowdown of this new tech milestone for Shimano.

Track 7 in Cycle Systems Academy.